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2.4GHz Wireless Video from Model Rocket

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the expendable dept.

ExidyBoy writes "While the Gates Brothers fly entire camcorders in their rockets to record onboard footage, a cheaper alternative is to use off-the-shelf 2.4GHz wireless video senders. The Aussie RocketCam site has Windows Media and QuickTime clips of the spectacular results that can be obtained."

15 of 120 comments (clear)

  1. The bad part by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    Is that even with WEP, someone can sniff your traffic and see your rocket footage.

    1. Re:The bad part by bobthemuse · · Score: 4, Informative

      This is an analog video signal transmitted on the same frequency as 802.11b, but that's the only relation. WEP doesn't apply. Anyone can sniff.

  2. Cool, but nothing new by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting

    While this is kinda cool, it is nothing new. Putting a cam in a rocket is the next best thing to being in the rocket itself.

    The thing that I would like to see is for them to have some degree of control over the rocket. Unfortunately (here in the US), and RC rocket is classified as a "missile" and is a big no-no.

    It's also good to see this hobby being kept alive,

  3. Sure this is impressive, by gotr00t · · Score: 4, Informative

    But I still think that the project for that Linux powered balloon is better: http://vpizza.org/~jmeehan/balloon/ Though there is no motion picture, the still images taken from over 80,000 ft up are very impressive.

  4. I toyed with this idea once... by TWX · · Score: 5, Interesting

    ... with my cheap X-10 camera, but batteries, rather than the camera, seemed to be the problem. It wouldn't have been terribly hard to launch them, it just would have been difficult to recover the rocket intact with all of that weight.

    A radio controlled car ended up being a much better, and more fun choice. It's probably good that this technology didn't exist at a feasible price point for me when I was in junior high school, for I'd likely have gotten into a lot of trouble...

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    1. Re:I toyed with this idea once... by cbreaker · · Score: 5, Funny

      You purchased an X-10? So you're that guy!! I was wondering who their customer was.

      --
      - It's not the Macs I hate. It's Digg users. -
    2. Re:I toyed with this idea once... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 4, Interesting
      You just need more horsepower and a bigger parachute. Decades ago when I was a jr. highschool punk, I built a rocket that was powered by a cluster of 6 Estes "D" engines; it was 7 feet tall and weighed several pounds. It probably could have hoisted a small camcorder. It made a flawless gentle landing with a 48-inch parachute sewn out of plastic garbage bags.

      OTOH, you're probably wise to not put expensive equipment in a rocket, given that I probably crashed more rockets than I recovered back in those days.

  5. 2.4GHz Wireless Video from Pet Kitty, Mittens by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Okay. I'll admit it. I'm the one who attached the wireless camera to the cat.

    But it didn't do any harm! Ran around. Chased something. Probably the antenna. The cat was perfectly fine!

    Well.

    Until I affixed the cat to a model rocket. But wow! That cat went higher than Armadillo Aerospace using a rocket jump.

  6. Is slashdot 2nd grade? by Jah-Wren+Ryel · · Score: 5, Funny

    a cheaper alternative is to use off-the-shelf 2.4GHz wireless video senders.

    And, to save money on the receiver side, just use off-the-shelf wireless video getters.

    --
    When information is power, privacy is freedom.
  7. BitTorrent to the rescue! by Jaeger · · Score: 5, Informative

    In an experimental attempt to turn the Slashdot effect back on itself using BitTorrent, and exploit my subscriber access, I hereby offer a zip file of the website itself and all of the movies (three of them) I could get off the site before it was slashdotted into oblivion.

    1. Re:BitTorrent to the rescue! by Jaeger · · Score: 4, Interesting
      Say, how does bittorent scale thru a slashdotting?

      The short answer is that we're about to find out. :) The advantage of BitTorrent is that everyone who downloads automatically uploads as well, turning the Slashdot effect back on itself, at least in theory. The only real concern would be the tracking server, since it's the only non-redundant piece of the network. So far, twenty minutes into the experiment, my tracker isn't breaking a sweat.

  8. Gives a totally new meaning for by Aliencow · · Score: 4, Funny

    /()*!)(*%)(!/*%) NO CARRIER
    BOOM!

    (random crap so the lameness filter shuts up)

  9. I've done similar by GigsVT · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I launched a tethered balloon with a 450Mhz transmitter to transmit video. The 450Mhz stuff is better in some ways, it's less directional, and you can receive it on a regular VCR or TV card tuner.

    Some Pictures

    --
    I've had enough abrasive sigs. Kittens are cute and fuzzy.
  10. What's wrong "standards" for video? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Why Quicktime or WMV?

    What's wrong with MPEG 1, 2 or 4???

    Hell, have we all embraced Microsoft and Apple now?

  11. worlds smallest wireless camera by Beowulf_Boy · · Score: 4, Informative

    Today at work (I work in a university's Instructional tech dept) I got to play with what is sold as "the worlds smallest wireless camera".

    And well, it was really small. About the size of my thumb plus a 9 volt battery. The stock range sucked though. I put on a 5ft Extension on the antenna (the antenna attached to the base via a coax adapter, so I just used a coax cable), and that about doubled the range.

    We were able to use it 1 floor up and about 100 feet away. This was around the tech dept though, so tons and tons of live electrical and data wiring.

    Anyways, what I am asking is, has anyone considered using something like this?
    I have a wireless card in my computer, and I start getting a bad connection about 150ft from the base station.